Lawmaker defends his praise for 9/11 mosqueIslamic center is 'important member of Northern Virginia community

Despite rebuke from counter-terrorism officials and the media, a former Obama appointee turned politician has doubled down on his controversial praise for the so-called 9/11 mosque outside the Washington suburbs, calling it "an important member of the Northern Virginia community."

Virginia State Del. Alfonso H. Lopez, D-Arlington, earlier this month sponsored a resolution "commending" the notorious Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Center "as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration" for the center.

The resolution, which passed the full Virginia state legislature by voice vote March 7, was met with harsh criticism from terrorism experts as well as Fox News, which called it a "slap in the face of 9/11 victims."